


Beautiful Butterfly Child

by AngelInk



Series: Water Works [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Canonical Alternate Universe, F/M, Family Drama, Female Matsuoka Rin, Female Nanase Haruka, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Parenthood, Post-Series, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-19 00:13:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2367122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelInk/pseuds/AngelInk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I had plans for Rin,” he said. “Big plans. I thought she would go down as one of the greatest.”</p><p>Wait, had? Sousuke expressed his concern. It was returned with a sigh.</p><p>“Ah, yes. After that Olympics, she retired her swimming career.” he told Sousuke with a pained expression on his face. He really wanted to take her far. “It’s a pity, I was hoping I would see her in next year’s summer Olympics.”</p><p>*writer on hiatus*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Olympic Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She’s made many sacrifices to be at the stage where she stood now, waving to the masses, waving to the television camera and making her name resound throughout the world. Rin Matsuoka, the 100m butterfly swimmer who took out first place for Australia. At that moment, she didn’t think cringing and second hand embarrassment would be something to attach to her name.

She couldn’t decide what was more upsetting, the fact that she embarrassed herself on international stage or the state of her stomach. Minutes ago, the entire world was watching with keen eyes as she took on the award for Australia coming in first place for the world renowned summer Olympics. The red head could remember the state of butterflies in her chest, trying desperately to flutter out of her ribcage. Years of training endlessly, and here she was finally standing where she had wanted to be all these years. Her rival had been there too, having won in her category and claimed the prize earlier. She was never far, although they had been on opposing teams, nothing stopped their friendship.

Haruka flashed Rin a small smile from across the barrier as they announced the medal receivers of the 100m butterfly. Of course Rin had won first place, breaking the record alongside it. No one expected anything less from the swimmer, having shown much potential the minute she had been scouted and transferred to the Australian National Swimming Team. The extent of her training was visible in every stroke she made, how the water fluidly moved with her body, how they seemed to be one, a sight the world had never seen before. She’s made many sacrifices to be at the stage where she stood now, waving to the masses, waving to the television camera and making her name resound throughout the world. Rin Matsuoka, the 100m butterfly swimmer who took out first place for Australia. At that moment, she didn’t think cringing and second hand embarrassment would be something to attach to her name. 

But the lights were suddenly blinding, the masses deafening, each camera flash made her nauseous. She dared not lose her footing now, even if the headache creeping at the back of her head pulsated its way to the front. She shook the appropriate hands, accepted the medal she aimed for since childhood, but something didn’t settle right. The butterflies in her chest churned now, she kept swallowing the annoying lump in her throat. All she could say was she tried, she tried to hold it in as she jumped off the stage before the ceremony was over and attached herself to the nearest trash can. 

Around her resounded a wave of empathy, a crushing noise of second hand embarrassment followed by murmurs of disappointment. Even Haruka’s voice was amongst them, calling hers out. Rin couldn’t care but upheave the food she ate this morning, cursing mentally as tears pricked her eyes and her throat stung like wildfire. Her coach rushed to her side, another nearby crew calling for emergency services and an ambulance while she cried into the bucket and continued to remove the rest of her breakfast out of her stomach. 

When at last they came to take her away on a stretcher, she insisted she could walk and retain what little dignity she had left after the episode that would attach to her name at every event she’d go to. That’s assuming she had more events to go to after the burn of public humiliation has been etched in her skin. Loaded into the ambulance, the ride was tedious, comments of serious cases of poisoning or minor ones of nerves and stress mumbled around her. Rin just clasped a hand to her face, embarrassed to show it again to the world. The other held the hand of her coach, whose face remained stoic and stern throughout the ordeal. There was silence, save the rumble of the engine and the piercing noise of the siren as the two of them contemplated words that should never be said between a coach and an Olympic swimmer. Rin squeezed the hand tighter, praying for an alternative. Tears just seemed to graze her vision more, dripping down onto the ambulance bed. Teeth gritted, she refused to give in to horrid thoughts, but she was losing this battle fiercely.

Her coach watched, clipboard in the other hand, lips pressed in a thin line. Though his features were angular, they were soft and worried for one of the prodigies that he had the privilege to train. Her teammates were probably equally as worried, trying to quell the chaos they left behind. 

“Rin.” he said pointedly and it was enough to make the girl cringe. Her heart continued to thud violently in her chest as she swallowed her pride to mumble out words that even her coach didn’t want to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After watching Free!Eternal Summer, I had this grandiose idea about Rin being forced to choose between family and swimming. Unfortunately, due to plot circumstances, it adhered best to if Rin had been born a girl, thus, here she is! Thus far in the story, Rin and Haruka are both female athletes in the Olympics. More information will follow once we cross that bridge!
> 
> With that being said, this is my first Free! fic, after not having written for a while, but I hope you all enjoy and stick around for the rest of the series.


	2. Land of Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But here he was on Australian soil, breathing Australian air, still reading international logos and symbols. When at last he claimed his luggage and walked out of the airport, he allowed himself a small smile. This was real now. He hoped it wouldn’t be too long before he could see Rin again.

The lounge was huge, filled with bustling people of every kind and culture, making their own stories and going about their business. Black hair was obscured by a similar colored jacket as he put down the duffel bag he had with him as a carry on to temporarily massage a stiffening shoulder before carrying on to the baggage carousel. He breathed in. The air inside was still stifling but he familiarized himself with the strange letters and continued on his way, mindful of other hurrying passengers rushing to board their flights. It was hard to keep in the excitement, his heart thudding rather hard in his chest that he was afraid others would hear it, but he was finally here. Although rehab had claimed a portion of his life already, he didn’t deter himself from giving it some thought.

By it, he meant Rin’s proposal on their last night together at Samezuka Academy. “ _I’ll be waiting,_ ” she told him. And he watched her hold back those tears that she was so lovingly teased for.

But here he was on Australian soil, breathing Australian air, still reading international logos and symbols. When at last he claimed his luggage and walked out of the airport, he allowed himself a small smile. This was real now. He hoped it wouldn’t be too long before he could see Rin again. And when he does, he knows how surprised she’ll be and most likely underestimate the amount of water works she could spout in one sitting.

Hailing down a cab, he first made his way to his already set out apartment. He kept his smile warm as he talked to the receptionist on the first floor, explaining that he’ll be the new tenant of Room 402 and how he had organized it with the landlord over a conference call, and paid his bond and three weeks fees in advance already.

That was also something that held Sousuke back from coming to Australia straight away after college, needing some money to plan his trip, his stay and his work. His job was currently small time to attain some more work experience prior to applying for the big leagues, but it wasn’t far from where he lived now. It was a renowned gym in the area who surveyed Sousuke’s swimming records and hired him to be an instructor, although it required him completing enough paperwork to even send him into a state of worry.

Nonetheless, when he set his mind on following Rin so she could finally stop waiting for him to come back, he meant it with every fiber of his being. Both of them knew Sousuke could never return to competitive swimming again, but just as Rin had inspired Sousuke to continue the pursuit in his childhood, he wanted to inspire others instead.

Plus, coaching a fellow swimmer had made him feel better about himself. From time to time on his off year, he visited Samezuka and aided in coaching fellow students. The warm smiles, the broken records, the fist pumps in to air made him feel satisfied; great even. He thought then, maybe a pursuit in coaching wouldn’t be a bad idea.

So here he was, after crippling years of English, passing IELTS papers, college papers, and raising enough money to be stable enough in Australia until his job worked out, he was a country closer to the red head.

Setting down his duffel bag by the door of his fully furnished apartment, he scanned his surroundings. It was nice, basic amenities and two bedrooms included, but it didn’t mean it was big. For a man of his stature, he could really do with space, but this was all he could afford at the moment and it reminded him of his dorm in college.

He was mildly surprised to find that his dorm mate was none other than the then retired Samezuka Academy swim captain, Nitori Aichiirou who pursued a similar line of work as he did, but looking back on it now, he missed dearly familiar faces. Despite the physical size of the room, it seemed big; especially without friends to be part of it.

Even more reason to meet up with Rin as soon as possible. He wondered where she was now.

Sousuke couldn’t personally be there to attend the games, but he watched the blunder on television and even had Gou on the line as the events unfolded. After that, news site after news site lamented about the state of the Olympian and how they hoped to hear word of her soon, but nothing came. Not even after the summer passed.

Gou called him ample times to explain that her sister was doing okay and doing her best to cope with life, but she wouldn’t give out the details as per Rin’s request. Much to his chagrin and attempts at contacting Rin, she would never reply and have Gou reply in her stead. Funnily enough, her letters had stopped after that particular day too. Was what happened really so awful that she could no longer confront Sousuke about it? She still won, and in all her categories as well, which is no easy feat. Her public image may be slandered somewhat but her swimming could easily over topple it.

No matter how perplexing it was, Rin was Rin and this wasn’t beyond something she’d do. Irrational as the red head was though, Sousuke still wished she would contact him and stop him from worrying. No matter, he was going to surprise her when she comes to the next training session, which he meticulously planned by the morrow.

So when he did arrive at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center and marvelled at the many plaques upon the entrance, he smiled as he sought for Rin’s name, smiling wider when he had found it.

 _Rin Matsuoka_ , it read, " _for contributing to Australian sporting excellence in the summer Olympics"_

“She’s a wonderful woman.” a voice piped up from somewhere in Sousuke’s periphery.

Recognizing Rin’s coach from the hype around the Olympics as he approached Sousuke to stare at the plaque as well, he processed the information.

“So much drive and passion, she trained harder than anyone I had ever met.” Sousuke nodded to what he was saying, smiling at how much it sounded like Rin. He refrained from making a comment since the man seemed to be enjoying his spiel. He remarked about how every criticism was taken into account, how she adjusted her training regime well and never once strayed. Her seriousness to participate in the Olympics was one of fierce drive that convinced the coach to take her there.

“I had plans for her,” he said. “Big plans. I thought she would go down as one of the greatest.”

Wait, had? Sousuke expressed his concern. It was returned with a sigh.

“Ah, yes. After that Olympics, she retired her swimming career.” he told Sousuke with a pained expression on his face. He really wanted to take her far. “It’s a pity, I was hoping I would see her in next year’s summer Olympics.”

Sousuke was dumb struck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke's in Australia, yay! Yes, Sousuke remains male in this one. I contemplated a completely gender swapped fanfiction, but again, this worked out better with male!Sousuke. 
> 
> But yes, more of this will unfold in the next chapter, I promise. Please enjoy and I'm sorry for any grammatical errors or typing. The entire story is unbeta-d, but constantly proofread.


	3. Poolside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More than ever, Rin wished Gou was still here to gush over either herself or Sousuke and scold him for not having contacted any sooner, but she had left for work again after the class started, leaving Rin with her gaze and her thoughts. The lump in her throat would not go away; and throughout the course of the class, she wondered what Sousuke thought of her now. He who persisted through a shoulder injury to swim with Rin, now watching Rin throw away her dream.

Her phone rang precisely at seven am, around the time she finished her shift at Bar 101 and headed off. She knew her sister had spent around ten minutes contemplating whether to ring her, mustering up the ability not to scold her in her typical sisterly fashion and tell her that what she was doing was unhealthy. Of course it was unhealthy, but a short lived career left little to nothing to her after that disgrace almost four years ago. 

She walked past another back alley wall, musing at the new graffiti graced in colors of charcoal layered over a runny burgundy in a hurried fashion. She ran a hand through her own messed hair, complete with exaggerated morning curls. Maybe she should change hers the way the wall did. She’s always been told that black had been a fitting color for her, particular in her days at the Academy, but her hair had been the signifier of Matsuoka DNA  from her mom’s side for as long as she’s ever known. Speaking of Matsuoka, the name sprang up on her cellphone just as she got into her car. With a swift gesture, she answered.

“You’re going.” said the stern voice on the phone. All that ten minute contemplation not to scold her, gone. Out the window, it flew. Although younger than her, little sister had a particular knack for nagging Rin into doing things that were debatably good for her.

“I just worked a double shift at the bar, can’t you do it for me?” Rin replied, unable to withhold the tired tone in her voice. Grabbing her bag from the backseat, and with skilled manoeuvres she continued to listen to Gou as she replaced the black alcohol drenched shirt into a pristine white one. The laments were serious and carried weight; as always, Gou was convincing when it came to the most important situations.

“You’re the one who never denied anyone their chance at swimming,” she said. 

To which Rin hummed uncertainly, as if the question was debatable. It wasn’t. Gou could list ten swimmers that were inspired by Rin in one breath. Rin tried to shuffle through her regular excuses, ignoring the weight of the argument. Sure, these excuses were getting outdated. It didn’t mean they weren’t true. 

“But you promised!” 

There it was, her final line of defence, huffing to signal the end of the almost ritualistic morning rant. Rin switched the phone from one ear to another, wedging it between her shoulder and her ear as she replaced pants with a tidy black pencil skirt. On the line, she heard Gou mumbling to someone else and telling them to go back to sleep and that Rin will keep her promise. She sighed. Out of all the defesnses, ‘the promise’ was simultaneously the worst and the best. When Rin made a promise, she intended to go through with it fully. She guessed Gou had been kind enough to take care of matters for her all these years, so she deserved a well earned break. 

“We’ll have lunch together, Gou, and then we’ll go to the pool. ” she told her, locking the car now and moving on. “How does that sound?” 

Gou affirmed her with a resigned hum, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders and she could now be free, but didn’t want to be. It was a strange yet all too familiar sound for Rin.

 The usual would imply conversation would end around seven-fifteen, but the younger Matsuoka would grumble before getting ready for work at seven-thirty. 

“Sleep okay?” Rin asked her. She was met with a sigh. 

“Well enough,” Gou replied, “ but I think Momo keeps forgetting that time differences are a thing.” 

Rin chortled, much to Gou’s chagrin. Rin remembered how protective she had been of Gou and wanted badly to detach her from the younger Mikoshiba. She thought that dealing with her second year captain, also a Mikoshiba, was hard enough, but the younger of the two was far more persistent. Rin’s convinced herself that Gou’s only started dating him out of pity, or to shut him up, but they’ve held water, so to speak. And if she was honest, she couldn’t be more happier for them.

“Work was good, I take it? Since you’re not grumpy and all.” the younger Matsuoka asked snidely. Rin replied with an affirmative hum, ignoring the banter, then explaining with a roll of pretty red eyes that three guys threw up on the dance floor and guess who was the ‘pretty little thing’, she quoted her boss, who had to clean it up. Gou told her firmly, like she does almost everyday despite the repercussions of the situation, to quit the job and find something more appealing to her qualifications. Rin, per usual, would dignify her response that she _was_ looking, and her sister would mumble something about looking harder. Then they’d leave it at that and move on to more conversational points as Rin continued to walk down the street. 

“I put a new drawing up on the fridge.” Gou said with a sleepy yawn. From beyond receiver, she could hear her sister rummaging through her dresser; Rin assumed she was searching for a hair tie to keep her fly away hair in a messy bun while she went about her morning business. Not that Rin’s hair was any more messy, but it _was_ just because it was shorter. 

“Oh? What of?” Rin asked, turning a corner. She was almost at work, which meant it was almost seven-thirty. 

“A butterfly with a medal.” Gou replied. Rin stopped in her tracks. All was silenced for a minute, sans the seemingly distant words of her sister. “Maybe art school would be more fitting than swim school.”

Rin shook her head from her thoughts, fishing out a hair tie from her skirt pocket, as a presumptive measure. She only allowed herself the faintest smile before stopping beside the small time cafe that would take up most of her morning. 

“Yeah, but I promised.” 

There was almost a laugh in that tone of voice. Gou mumbled about her swearing her sister had gone crazy some days, as the water ran in the background and she fussed with  bathroom necessities. Gou then wished her a good day and to keep her promise, and Rin did the same, hanging up the phone and slipping it into her pocket.

Entering through the back entrance, she smoothed out her outfit and tied burgundy hair into a neat ponytail. She told her fellow co-workers good morning and hoped she could wish them good day soon.

* * *

The water was as clear as the late afternoon sky, but an artificial pool could never reflect the true beauty of an ocean, though its persistence to present elegance was there nonetheless. Standing poolside, he got ready to take the two pm slot of child swimmers. He couldn’t imagine children starting as young as three to swim, but there it was, present on the page. The youngest was two and a half. He made sure to prepare the kickboards and the floaties in case the children were uncomfortable with the water. Though they would remain the shallow portion for a majority part of the training, the more confident children could race in the bigger pool with permission. Sousuke was never exactly fond of children, and would rather coach those who already had a handle on swimming, but it was just a stepping stone to accomplish his goal of being able to train professional swimmers. On top of that, he coached the morning academy students anyway based on his given recommendations, so this had been the compromise between him and his employer. 

Children couldn’t have been all bad, he concluded; they are energetic and passionate, something that Sousuke was always happy to see within his pupils. As stupid as it sounded, it really did remind him of Rin’s passion and it was that which kept him going.

Ten minutes were inching upon two, and Sousuke’s turquoise gaze looked over the roster names. He only taught a small handful of children, but one child caught his attention. 

_Matsuoka,_ it read, and he wasn’t sure if his eyes were playing tricks with him.

No, it definitely read correctly, _Matsuoka, Michouko._

He contemplated Rin; that whole bucket fiasco made complete sense in line with this, but Rin wasn’t one to throw a huge career away for that. After all, she was the one who left him in middle school to pursue swimming in the other half of the world, she has many selfish sacrifices to her name. Maybe Gou had a child; but he was sure that the younger Matsuoka had recently been fresh out of college, and who was the father anyway? Her and Mikoshiba had only been dating the past two years, and the child was at least three. None of it made  any sense. 

His mind kept wandering to what Rin would do.

_Would she?_ No. No way. Rin’s dream wouldn’t simply be crushed by a child, and even if she carried it to term, she would manage to go about her life and return to the swimming world in full swing. But it’s been three years since anyone from the media heard anything from the cool red head that was Matsuoka Rin. Logically, it was the most obvious conclusion.

But Sousuke couldn’t bring himself to think something so career crushing happened to Rin and that she threw it all away or contemplate such a moral dilemma, so he chalked it up to being a weird coincidence and another Matsuoka being present in the area. He carried on with his preparations with the thought pushed to the back of his head.

Children began arriving with their parents from the changing room, eagerly dashing out to marvel the water, even as they were told not to run. Colorful swim wear two colors too bright graced Sousuke’s vision, but he welcomed the children with as kind of a smile as he could muster. Learning from his classes, he bent down to children’s eye levels to address them, calling out each name to tick off on the roster. 

Surprisingly, no one answered for Matsuoka, that is until such a wild unabashed noise erupted from the changing room, tagged along by a tired figure.

“Michouko! Don’t run!” said the voice, and Sousuke’s eyes widened as he saw a certain mop of a certain colored hair. Behind them, Gou smiled in a sheepish fashion, hair nicely tucked in a high bun, glasses perched almost at the end of her nose. Sousuke knew she didn’t see him, since her focus had been entirely on her tablet.

She chided Michouko, telling her to listen to her mother, making Sousuke’s eyes widen more. Small, olive skinned with shoulder length hair the color of wine, she was almost the spitting image of younger Rin. At that point, Sousuke could no longer deny the truth in his logical conclusion and saw for himself that Michouko Matsuoka is Rin’s daughter. 

Rin lifted the child up into a tight hug, telling her to behave and be good for her instructor just like she was always good to Auntie Gou. She was calm yet excited to be here to support her daughter, reminding her of her own days of swimming, that is until she saw who the instructor was.

Although it may have seem like those three years flashed before their eyes, it was only a mere moment to real world, turquoise eyes transfixed to equally shocked red ones. Her lips mouthed his name in utter disbelief and Sousuke’s gaze spoke her name silently like it did. 

The trance was ruined as Michouko padded up to the group and apologized for being late. Sousuke carried on with his duty. Rin just sat in the supporter’s poolside bench, gaze transfixed on the raven haired, wondering if his existence was real. 

* * *

Her gaze still lingered on Sousuke even after he congratulated everyone on their effort, and made sure they all got dressed in the changing rooms and meet back after they were all done. The children thanked him, and he smiled back at them, an affirmation that he learnt in class, though he really was proud of their excitement in the water. The session was only an hour, and most of it was spent wading in the water and moving from one end of the short pool to the other for comfort and safety practices. Even if the task was menial, their smiles could make an angel weep. 

“Rin.” Sousuke breathed, now confronting a reality. It wasn’t a dream anymore, it was real, he had to tell himself. Her hair’s longer than he last remembered, and her features softer, but she was still the same Rin; present with even the same sharp toothed smile. 

“So you did follow me to Australia.” she grinned, closing her eyes and leaning back in her seat. She seemed apprehensive, Sousuke thought, but something told him she was trying to keep her cool under such unprecedented circumstances.

“I was going to come find you.” the raven haired offered, sitting next to her, forward to make sure he could see her eyes clearly. “Fitting that we next see each other at a swimming pool though.” 

Rin chuckled, shaking her head at how bizarre fate was to find themselves here in such a predicament. “Yeah, very fitting.”

* * *

More than ever, Rin wished Gou was still here to gush over either herself or Sousuke and scold him for not having contacted any sooner, but she had left for work again after the class started, leaving Rin with her gaze and her thoughts. The lump in her throat would not go away; and throughout the course of the class, she wondered what Sousuke thought of her now. He who persisted through a shoulder injury to swim with Rin, now watching Rin throw away her dream. 

The silence was uneasy, Rin grasping at things to say to Sousuke but lacking the courage to be as abrasive as she usually would be about it, but the man in question stood up, rubbing the towel into his hair. 

“I’m finishing up soon. Want to go grab a bite to eat or something..?” he asked her. Rin took a moment to formulate her response. She had to take Michouko home so that she could cook dinner, spend time with her daughter and then made sure they both got ample sleep. After all, she had work come eleven pm, and she promised her boss she wouldn’t be late this time. 

Sousuke nodded, sympathetic to a tight work schedule, and offered to take her out some time. _Like we used to_ , he said with a smirk and Rin was left to wonder whether she would have the nerve to take such an offer as she watched him congratulate his little swimmers once more, and dismissed them to their waiting parents. 

* * *

 That night, Michouko couldn’t stop gushing to her mom about how cool teacher Sousuke was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little rusty at this, I'll be honest. I normally write in third person but my perspectives have always been multiple. So bear with me with my experimentation. It'll pick up soon!


End file.
